I was suffering from depression and anxiety due to a phobia. It got really bad at the end of last year and I started medication in January of this year. I was really scared of taking it because I was afraid of the side affects BUT I am SO glad I stuck through it!

9 months in, I am happier than I have been in my entire life. I think clearly, I do not have anymore nagging or depressing thoughts. I am productive, I like being outside. All the symptoms I used to have are completely gone! I used to be scared of going outside, of driving, of being away from home for more than an hour. I was constantly worried about my life, other people's lives. I was a worrier. I was so depressed, I felt disconnected from reality. I thought I was going crazy. But I am so much better now. I feel "normal"

The side affects on Lexapro for me were minimal. I took it at night before bed so I wouldn't feel weird during the day. I can take it during the day not with no affect but I still take it before bed. The only thing I noticed is that it gave me a headache for the first month. After that it went away. It took about 3 weeks for it to start working on me, though I hear that it can sometimes take a month or two.

My advice is to NOT GIVE UP. Stick through it and I promise, you will feel so much better! I don't know if Lexapro is for everyone, I mean, it worked for me. I'm just saying that in general, DO NOT GIVE UP. I was so against medication but I tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked. I went to therapy, I exercised, I tried meditation. It would help for a couple of days and then I was back to my depressed self. Finally I gave in and took medication and I do not regret it AT ALL.

I cannot even begin to describe how better life is now. PLEASE do not give up on yourself! I almost did, but I'm glad I didn't. Don't get better for other people, do it for yourself.

This is why, despite all the problems antidepressants can cause, especially in the first few weeks, they are worth trying. When they work they can give folk their lives back, sometimes making them even better than before the anxiety and/or depression scourge struck.

NOTE: I'm not a doctor, and particularly not yours, so there may be factors I'm unaware of. Therefore all advice is of a general nature and you should consult your doctor before following any of it, especially before changing med doses.

NOTE: I'm not a doctor, and particularly not yours, so there may be factors I'm unaware of. Therefore all advice is of a general nature and you should consult your doctor before following any of it, especially before changing med doses.

I know that there is a lot of bad things out there about antidepressants but it does help save lives. Ian, you're right, it sometimes makes life better than it was before anxiety and depression. That's what happened to me.

The next step for me is seeing a therapist in order to reduce my phobia that caused all the anxiety. I'm scared of weaning off of the medication because I don't want to be in that hell again, but I do not want to take meds forever either.

Lexapro saved my life, and I am glad I started taking it. I do not think I would be here otherwise.

This forum really helped me through the darkest of times. I am glad that a community like this exists for people whose mental conditions have no outward symptoms. It's an internal struggle that people do not often associate with sickness. That was my main problem; People would look at me and say, "You don't look sick" but they didn't even realize the internal struggle I was going through.

A lot of people do not want to go on medication because they feel that they can heal themselves and in some cases it works, but in others medication will help the healing process, along with meditation and therapy. I was one of those people who refused to take medicine for the longest time. I thought I was strong enough to fix myself but sometimes the brain is just chemically imbalanced and no matter how often you meditate, it will not help.

I wish that I could give each and every one of you who is suffering a little chunk of my happiness. Everyone deserves to be happy. Do not be afraid to live anymore. Go see your doctor, a psychiatrist, a therapist, talk to people. This community has great resources and the people here are amazing and supportive. AnxietyZone was one of the reasons I was able to survive my darkest times and I am forever grateful.

Cytoney, I am also on 10mg. It's been the same dosage since the beginning. It's a very low dosage so it will take some time for you to feel the affects but don't give up! For me it took roughly 3 weeks to start feeling better. Eventually you will notice that you don't get scared while doing things that you were scared of doing. I started driving longer distances without giving it a second thought! I was so amazed at myself! You will feel better in no time :)

One of the things that helped me was writing. I have been blogging since I was a teenager and it really helps me get my thoughts out. If anyone is interested, you can read my blog as I chronicled my illness for a year. TRIGGER WARNING: I have a phobia of throwing up, and I talk about the incident that traumatized me when I was a kid.